NameCensus.

UK surname

Crofts

A locational surname referring to a person who lived by a small farm or cultivated land.

In the 1881 census there were 2,414 people recorded with the Crofts surname, ranking it #1,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,209, ranked #2,118, down from #1,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nottingham, Fenland and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crofts is 3,371 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.9%.

1881 census count

2,414

Ranked #1,843

Modern count

3,209

2016, ranked #2,118

Peak year

2010

3,371 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crofts had 2,414 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,209 in 2016, ranked #2,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,179 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Crofts surname distribution map

The map shows where the Crofts surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Crofts surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Crofts over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,579 #1,826
1861 historical 1,595 #1,785
1881 historical 2,414 #1,843
1891 historical 2,651 #1,799
1901 historical 2,963 #1,889
1911 historical 3,179 #1,640
1997 modern 3,213 #2,007
1998 modern 3,358 #1,991
1999 modern 3,365 #2,010
2000 modern 3,320 #2,028
2001 modern 3,236 #2,035
2002 modern 3,251 #2,070
2003 modern 3,187 #2,063
2004 modern 3,233 #2,036
2005 modern 3,147 #2,058
2006 modern 3,119 #2,077
2007 modern 3,154 #2,077
2008 modern 3,180 #2,079
2009 modern 3,274 #2,075
2010 modern 3,371 #2,067
2011 modern 3,280 #2,088
2012 modern 3,210 #2,100
2013 modern 3,274 #2,097
2014 modern 3,279 #2,105
2015 modern 3,253 #2,100
2016 modern 3,209 #2,118

Geography

Back to top

Where Crofts' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Nottingham St Mary, Hawarden and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nottingham, Fenland, North East Lincolnshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Rotherham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
4 Hawarden Cheshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nottingham 021 Nottingham
2 Fenland 009 Fenland
3 North East Lincolnshire 007 North East Lincolnshire
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Rotherham 026 Rotherham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Crofts

These lists show first names that appear often with the Crofts surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Crofts

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Crofts, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Crofts surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Crofts household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Crofts is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Crofts is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crofts falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Crofts is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Crofts, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Crofts

The surname Crofts originated in England, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "croft," meaning a small farm or enclosed field. This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who lived or worked on a croft.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Crofts can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Croftes" in various counties across England. This indicates that the name was already well-established by the time of the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the name Crofts was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Historical records from this period often mention individuals bearing this surname, such as William de Croftes, who was listed as a landowner in the Hundred Rolls of 1273.

In the 14th century, variations of the name began to emerge, including Croft, Crofts, and Croftys. This was likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spellings during that time.

One notable figure bearing the surname Crofts was Sir John Crofts (1518-1557), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Mary I. He played a significant role in suppressing the Wyatt Rebellion of 1554.

Another individual of historical significance was James Crofts (1590-1677), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1638 to 1644.

In the 18th century, the Crofts family gained prominence in the literary world with the works of Thomas Crofts (1722-1788), an English poet and writer best known for his work "The Abbey of Bury."

The 19th century saw the rise of Sir Walter Crofts (1826-1901), a British military officer and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Bahamas from 1887 to 1895.

Lastly, a notable figure in the 20th century was Freeman Wills Crofts (1879-1957), an Irish writer and renowned mystery novelist who authored several acclaimed works, including "The Cask" and "The Groote Park Murder."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Crofts families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crofts surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 288 Crofts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.23x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 288 1.23x
Derbyshire 280 7.58x
Leicestershire 200 7.64x
Warwickshire 195 3.28x
Nottinghamshire 189 5.94x
Middlesex 187 0.79x
Kent 110 1.37x
Lancashire 99 0.35x
Northamptonshire 99 4.46x
Staffordshire 86 1.08x
Surrey 79 0.69x
Flintshire 73 11.50x
Cheshire 56 1.07x
Lincolnshire 40 1.06x
Wiltshire 38 1.82x
Dorset 32 2.07x
Bedfordshire 29 2.37x
Hampshire 28 0.58x
Worcestershire 26 0.84x
Cambridgeshire 25 1.67x
Lanarkshire 25 0.33x
Essex 23 0.49x
Angus 22 1.01x
Somerset 21 0.55x
Rutland 20 11.54x
Gloucestershire 17 0.37x
Devon 13 0.26x
Huntingdonshire 13 2.77x
Cumberland 12 0.59x
Suffolk 12 0.42x
Sussex 11 0.28x
Durham 10 0.14x
Glamorgan 9 0.22x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.49x
Norfolk 7 0.19x
Shetland 7 2.90x
Channel Islands 6 0.86x
Herefordshire 6 0.62x
Oxfordshire 5 0.34x
Hertfordshire 4 0.25x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.09x
Monmouthshire 2 0.12x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.13x
Roxburghshire 1 0.23x
Royal Navy 1 0.36x
Shropshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 78 Crofts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.48x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 78 9.48x
Leicester St Margaret 72 11.28x
Hawarden 62 124.37x
Sheffield 44 5.91x
Staveley 44 67.06x
Coventry Holy Trinity 34 19.13x
Islington London 31 1.35x
Bethnal Green London 29 2.83x
Crick 29 386.67x
Handsworth 29 46.90x
Eckington 25 27.85x
West Bromwich 25 5.48x
Ecclesall Bierlow 24 5.04x
Lambeth 24 1.17x
Belper 23 32.10x
Chippenham 23 52.54x
Bedford St Paul 21 25.05x
Birmingham 21 1.06x
Kings Norton 21 7.60x
Sheepshed 21 58.54x
Laughton En Le Morthen 20 371.75x
Barony 19 0.98x
Newington 18 2.06x
Aston 17 1.04x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 17 7.80x
Brightside Bierlow 17 3.71x
Claylane 17 33.09x
Sedgley 16 5.41x
St George Hanover Square 16 3.85x
Harbrough Magna 15 541.52x
March 15 29.96x
Paddington London 15 1.73x
Rugby 15 18.62x
Tipton 15 6.15x
Hinckley 14 22.55x
Horsley 14 62.95x
Nottingham St Peter 14 39.47x
Wombwell 14 20.52x
Brington 13 194.61x
Floore 13 156.25x
Hasland 13 34.56x
Hazlewood Storiths 13 928.57x
Kensington London 13 0.99x
Leicester St Mary 13 6.15x
Walsall Foreign 13 3.16x
West Ham 13 1.26x
Carlton 12 33.05x
Dronfield 12 25.34x
Hackney London 12 0.91x
Holy Trinity 12 2.13x
Shoreditch London 12 1.17x
Caythorpe 11 151.72x
Great Meolse 11 337.42x
Harpole 11 163.69x
Sandford Orcas 11 533.98x
Snenton 11 8.80x
Stapenhill 11 20.00x
Wellow 11 370.37x
Westleigh 11 17.29x
Heeley 10 14.07x
Hucknall Torkard 10 12.39x
Ince In Makerfield 10 7.67x
Leamington Priors 10 6.83x
Liverpool 10 0.59x
Abbotsley 9 241.29x
Barnsley 9 3.73x
Canterbury St Mary 9 16.65x
Deptford St Paul 9 1.45x
Whitehaven 9 8.31x
Alfreton 8 7.13x
Cosby 8 98.64x
Fareham 8 13.76x
Huncote 8 214.48x
Llandaff 8 5.85x
Nether Hallam 8 2.53x
Tanshelf 8 42.83x
Toller Porcorum 8 222.22x
Tormoham 8 3.85x
Wolverhampton 8 1.31x
Wolvey 8 126.38x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Crofts surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 158
Elizabeth 96
Sarah 84
Emma 42
Jane 42
Ann 40
Eliza 40
Annie 38
Ellen 31
Alice 29
Hannah 27
Florence 26
Ada 18
Charlotte 18
Edith 18
Harriet 18
Margaret 18
Caroline 17
Louisa 17
Maria 17
Martha 16
Kate 15
Amelia 13
Fanny 13
Lucy 12
Amy 11
Catherine 11
Clara 11
Anne 10
Elizth. 10
Harriett 10
Julia 10
Emily 9
Agnes 8
Selina 8
Eleanor 7
Esther 7
Gertrude 7
Jessie 7
Rose 6
Susan 6
Ethel 5
Frances 5
Minnie 5
Sophia 5
Susannah 5
Maryann 4
Matilda 4
Maud 4
Rhoda 4

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Crofts surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 156
William 154
George 72
Thomas 72
Henry 62
James 61
Charles 56
Joseph 39
Arthur 31
Alfred 29
Albert 25
Robert 25
Edward 24
Samuel 24
Herbert 22
Walter 20
Richard 17
Harry 15
Edwin 13
Frank 13
Frederick 12
Peter 10
Francis 8
Benjamin 7
David 7
Ernest 7
Wm. 7
Wilfred 6
Hugh 5
Isaac 5
Willm. 5
Abraham 3
Daniel 3
Enos 3
Fred 3
Fredk. 3
Joe 3
Maurice 3
Septimus 3
Thos. 3
Bernard 2
Edgar 2
Edmund 2
Frances 2
Jacob 2
Paul 2
Robt.Wm. 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Thos.William 2

FAQ

Crofts surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crofts surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,414 people were recorded with the Crofts surname. That placed it at #1,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crofts surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,209 in 2016. That gives Crofts a modern rank of #2,118.

What does the Crofts surname mean?

A locational surname referring to a person who lived by a small farm or cultivated land.

What does the Crofts map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Crofts bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.